


Visiting Hours

by WhovianEevee



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alcohol Withdrawal, Car Accidents, Coma, Drunk Driving, Gen, Hopeful Ending, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, injury of child
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-28
Updated: 2020-01-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:07:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22453897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhovianEevee/pseuds/WhovianEevee
Summary: He walks in at a quarter till six just like every other day before.
Relationships: Original Child Character(s) & Original Male Character, Original Female Character & Original Male Character, Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Kudos: 2





	Visiting Hours

He walked in the door at a quarter till six. Every day at a quarter till six he walked in the door. The receptionist would look at him and smile sadly as they checked him in. Every day, no matter who was on shift, the nurse at the desk would smile sadly as he was checked in. Everyone knew him. He had never missed a day or been late in the time they had known him.

He walked down the halls at ten till six. Every day at ten till six he walked down the halls, nodding his head to those who knew him, as well as those that didn’t. He nodded his head and his hands shook as he walked, whether from exhaustion or withdrawal, no one could tell.

At six o’clock every day, he arrived at the room. It was at the far end of the hospital, but there was only one check-in desk. The walk was long, but the walk was worth it.

On this day, he is silent as he walks in the room. His silence matches that of the occupant. Their combined quiet is broken every few seconds by the steady beep of the heart monitor.

At six fifteen, he starts speaking. About his day, about his work, about the news. Nonsense words for a normal conversation that he is generating by himself. He looks everywhere but at the young girl lying in the bed. He walks around the room, looking at the pictures he’s seen a thousand times and picking up the get well cards he’s read a million more.

At six thirty he finally looks at her. Her frail body looks swamped in the hospital bed, as it has for the past four weeks. He sits down by the bed with a sigh and takes her hand.

“It’s been lonely Elaine, ya know? I’ve got your papa, but he’s going through the same thing I am. Did his visit this morning go alright? I haven’t seen him since I went to bed last night.” He runs a hand down his face. 

“We’re fallin’ apart without ya, sweetpea. I can’t remember the last time one of us has been able to sleep through the night.” He chuckles lowly. “There is one good thing that’s come out of this, I guess. I’ve stopped drinking!” He lifts up his shaking hands as if to show the sleeping girl. “I guess I only needed to learn what drunk driving could do to someone.” He sags further into the chair. “Why did it have to be through you, though?”

The man sits in silence till seven. He watches the girl, his daughter, as she continues to sleep. Quietly, as if not to disturb her, he speaks.

“I’ll be right back sweetpea, I just need to use the restroom.” He slowly gets up and starts walking to the door, keeping an eye on her till he has reached it. “This won’t take long.”

At seven o’five, he walks back in and the air has changed. Nothing is visibly different, but even still, the air seems lighter, and the heaviness that came with its occupant seems to have disappeared.

The man begins to pace. Something feels different, and he worries about what that might mean. Though the feeling is good, he doesn’t trust it. What makes this day any different? There is nothing special about it. Just another day spent working, then visiting, then sleeping. It was always the same, every day. 

At seven thirty, a nurse comes in. She’s one of Elaine’s normal attendants, and one of the few that he actually likes.

“Hey, Barbara.” He greets her. 

“Heya Will. How you and Patrick holdin’ up?”

“As well as we can.”

Silence consumes the two. The only thing to be heard is the steady beeping of the monitor.

The suddenly not-so-steady beep of the monitor.

Will shoots up from where he’s been sitting and Barbara runs to get some help as the heart monitor takes off, Elaine’s heartbeat quickening. 

It’s not like the movies, where people wake from a coma instantaneously. She’s still asleep when the doctors kick Will out at eight o’clock. But things are different now. There is a new light in the air, filling his lungs with hope. Will can go home and celebrate with his husband with ease.

Will can wait til visiting hours come around again.

**Author's Note:**

> For clarification, Will was not the one who hit Elaine but the accident scared him into quitting drinking, as he did not want to be the cause of some other person's injury.
> 
> This is my first finished story, so I hope that you enjoy it!


End file.
